Tim Burton's 'Frankenweenie': The Dog Finally Has His Day

By now, Burton’s characteristic creepiness and underdog loner heroes are familiar, beloved film staples. Children and adults alike relate to his recurring themes of darkness hiding behind the shiniest of facades, and goodness, light, and love residing in places and in people many would consider strange or even dangerous.

But in 1984, when Burton first filmed Frankenweenie–a live-action re-telling of the Frankenstein story in which a young boy resurrects his beloved dog–children’s movies were dominated by cuddly creatures and knights in shining armor.